Category: General

At the Tokyo Olympics, mental health was the breakout star. Amplified by some of the world’s top athletes, it shook up those Games and made everyone take notice.

Six months later, in Beijing, the conversation has evolved: The subject pops up regularly, but no one is shocked when it does.

Many athletes have spoken about their struggles, but often in a no-biggie, nothing-to-see-here way. A difficulty is mentioned, then the conversation moves on. After star gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of competition in Tokyo because she wasn’t in the right headspace, retired Olympic swimming phenom Michael Phelps memorably said that “It’s OK to not be OK.”

And now, thanks in part to people like Biles, it seems it’s OK to talk about it, too.

“I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned after the last Olympics is being as open as possible,” snowboarding sensation Chloe Kim told reporters after she took the gold medal Thursday in the halfpipe competition.

It was Kim’s second Olympic gold. She initially threw that first one, earned in Pyeongchang four years ago, in the trash — a story that epitomizes the dissonance between the cheery face many champions show the world and the torments they face behind the scenes.

“After my last Olympics, I put that pressure on myself to be perfect at all times, and that would cause a lot of issues at home. I would be really sad and depressed all the time when I was home,” Kim told reporters after easily securing the top spot on the podium — but also failing to land a new trick she is working on.

“I’m happy to talk about whatever I’ve been experiencing,” she said. “Honestly, it’s really healthy for me.”

It wasn’t just Kim who was talking about it. After snowboarder Jamie Anderson, who came to Beijing as the two-time defending slopestyle champion, finished ninth, she posted on Instagram that her “mental health and clarity just hasn’t been on par.”

Skier Mikaela Shiffrin was particularly honest after she failed to finish either of her first two races in events that are specialties of hers. She said that she had been feeling pressure, something every elite athlete feels and is distinct from the more complicated mental health challenges many have been talking about.

But Shiffrin also plumbed greater depths, acknowledging that she was angry with her dad, who died in 2020, for not being there to support her.

After finally managing to complete a race Friday — shockingly, even that had become an open question for the star — she posted on Instagram about the ups and downs of competition.

“There’s a lot of disappointment and heartbreak going around in the finish area,” she wrote.

As several elite athletes stumbled in Beijing, they were often quick to remind the world that they’re human, too. Shiffrin even has a paid post on Instagram, in which the tagline is: “Yeah, I am human.” A far cry from the usual vaunting of athletes as something much more than that.

This is what many hoped for after Tokyo — that as more athletes acknowledged what they face behind the scenes, the stigma around talking about mental health would recede and the issue would merely become one more challenge in the mix.

“I think that it really has become normalized with so many athletes talking about their mental health, and there has been such a push for parity with mental health and physical health,” said Jess Bartley, director of mental health services for Team USA.

“I think, in the experience I’ve had with a lot of these athletes, it’s really relieving to be able to talk about it, to have folks understand, to have the audience understand what may be coming up that might have impacted their performance,” she said. “Just in the same way that you hear about a sprained ankle.”

Bartley works with athletes to prepare how they’ll respond to questions about their mental health just as she works with them on preparing their performance. Some feel comfortable revealing those struggles; others don’t.

Louie Vito, a snowboarder who competed for Italy in Beijing, puts himself in the latter camp. He’s glad that mental health is being talked about more openly — he readily admits framing some of his struggles in that way was eye-opening for him — but he would prefer to keep much of that private.

“I think some people would rather deal with their mental battles in their inner circle,” he said. “To me, it’s not a right or a wrong on how you deal with it as long as you’re aware and it doesn’t become detrimental to you. I don’t think you have to talk about in public.”

And he acknowledged that many people are still embarrassed to talk about these issues.

Yet so many do keep talking — encouraged by a generation of younger athletes determined not only to be heard but to ensure that this subject is no longer something to be dramatically revealed, but simply addressed like anything else important.

Amanda Fialk, who is the chief clinical officer at The Dorm, a mental health treatment program for young people, is heartened by the increasingly open conversations happening. But she warns that true change will take much more time to take hold.

She underscores that there are vast cultural differences — across countries and between communities within any given country — that affect access to and the stigma around mental health care.

“I am also mindful that old habits die hard,” said Fialk, who was a competitive figure skater when she was younger. “It is going to take continued talking about these issues and continued efforts to normalize talking about all these issues for the change to not just be a change, but to become a new normal.”

Source: Voice of America

Luanda – The Provincial Committee of the ruling MPLA party in Luanda reiterated Saturday its commitment to creation of policies aimed at improving the social conditions of the population, with stress to education and health sectors.

During massive rallies held simultaneously in Luanda’s 41 districts and 14 communes, MPLA also presented its 2022 political agenda to its militants.

A special campaign was also held to ensure the integration of the new members.

Addressing a rally in Talatona municipality, the coordinator of the provincial executive committee of the party, Djamila dos Santos, mentioned education, health, national unity and peace consolidation as the axes of agenda that deserve priority of her political organisation.

Djamila dos Santos urged the MPLA militants and friends for commitment to ensure the victory in the next elections scheduled for August this year.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

The World Health Organization warns a sharp rise in measles cases in Afghanistan is threatening the lives and well-being of millions of malnourished children.

More than 35,300 suspected cases of measles and 156 deaths have been reported in Afghanistan from January 2021 through January of this year. What is setting off alarm bells ringing is the sharp, rapid rise in cases last month.

The World Health Organization reports a 40% increase in the number of measles cases in the last week of January. Although the number of deaths is relatively low, the WHO warns many children are likely to die from the disease in the coming weeks.

WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier says measles-related deaths are not always reported in Afghanistan, so the toll is likely to be much higher than the figures suggest.

“The rise in measles cases is especially concerning because of the extremely high levels of malnutrition in Afghanistan,” Lindmeier said. “Malnutrition weakens immunity, making people more vulnerable to illness and death from diseases like measles—especially children. In addition, measles infections can cause immune system suppression and immunologic amnesia, which increases susceptibility to all pathogens.”

The World Food Program says Afghanistan is facing the worst food crisis on record. It says 1 in 3 people are going hungry and some 2 million children are malnourished. The WFP warns 14 million children are expected to face potentially life-threatening levels of hunger, noting that malnutrition rates already are soaring.

Measles is an extremely contagious viral disease. Lindmeier says unvaccinated young children are at highest risk of getting sick and dying from it.

In December, he says, an immunization campaign was carried out in response to a measles outbreak. He says the campaign reached 1.5 million children in some of the most-affected provinces.

“Now, WHO is helping to plan for a larger measles outbreak response immunization campaign, which will start in May, or earlier if possible, aiming to reach more than 3 million children nationwide,” Lindmeier said. “Support from WHO includes helping with the process needed to secure additional vaccines and devices, as well as the operational funds and the support for planning the campaign.”

The WHO says strengthening routine immunization is the best way to protect people, especially children, from getting measles. The agency urges governments to make sure at least 95 percent of their populations receive two doses of measles-containing vaccine.

Source: Voice of America

The COVID-19 infection rate for Africa may be as much as seven times higher than reported, while death counts could be two to three times higher, according to the World Health Organization’s regional director for Africa.

“We’re very much aware that our surveillance systems problems that we had on the continent, with access to testing supplies, for example,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said Thursday, “have led to an underestimation of the cases.”

Public health officials have warned for some time that Africa’s COVID infection and death tolls were likely undercounted.

India’s health ministry reported 58,077 new COVID cases on Friday. Like Africa, public health officials have also cautioned that India’s COVID figures are probably under-calculated, as well.

As many as 3,000 New York City municipal workers are facing termination Friday if they do not adhere to the city’s mandate requiring city workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Workers have staged protests, but Mayor Eric Adams has remained firm in upholding the policy imposed by his predecessor Bill de Blasio.

“We are not firing them. People are quitting,” Adams said recently.

Firefighters and police could be among those terminated.

Meanwhile, officials in Paris and Brussels have warned that they will not allow convoys, to enter the cities to stage anti-vaccine protests, similar to the one in Ottawa, Canada. Part of the French convoy is already en route to the capital for the weekend rally. The Belgian protest is planned for Feb. 14.

Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Friday it has recorded more than 406 million global COVID infections and almost 6 million deaths. More than 10 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, the center said.

Source: Voice of America

Trucker-led protests against coronavirus restrictions in Canada shut down another U.S. border crossing Thursday, as copycat movements gathered steam overseas and Washington called on its northern neighbor to use federal powers to end the blockades.

The border obstructions have already impacted business, with the key Ambassador Bridge linking Ontario and Detroit out of service for several days — and major automakers forced to cut back production at several plants as a result.

A second crossing in the western province of Alberta has been blocked for days, and on Thursday protesters closed down a third — in central Manitoba.

Citing supply shortages, Ford said it was forced to slow down production at factories in Canada, while some Stellantis factories in the United States and Canada halted work Wednesday evening, General Motors canceled several shifts, and Toyota said its plants were also hit.

In the Canadian capital, police said Thursday they were bringing in reinforcements, issuing more arrests and tickets, and stepping up truck towing operations in a bid to break the impasse that has paralyzed the city.

But protesters were hunkering down and taking pride in how their two-week protest has mushroomed into an international movement.

“You know it’s really bad if Canadians are coming out full force,” said protester Naomi Gilman, noting how her fellow citizens had largely remained quiet “for two long years” of COVID-19 restrictions.

“So I think that resonates around the world for sure,” she told AFP.

France, New Zealand, US

Addressing reporters outside the House of Commons, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau once again called the blockades “unacceptable” and said he was working with authorities across the country to bring them to an end.

“This is hurting communities across the country,” Trudeau said.

Washington stepped up its pressure too, with the White House saying that U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas “called his Canadian counterparts, urging them to use federal powers to resolve this situation at our joint border.”

Despite Trudeau and Washington warning the protests pose an economic threat, rallies inspired by the trucker movement have sprung up elsewhere, from New Zealand to France and Belgium.

An anti-vaccine protest turned ugly Thursday in Wellington, with police clashing with demonstrators on the grounds of parliament and more than 120 people arrested.

In France, thousands inspired by the Canadian truckers planned to converge Friday evening on Paris, with some aiming to move onwards to Brussels.

Paris police sought to prevent the demonstration, saying they would ban so-called “Freedom Convoys” and would stop roads from being blocked, threatening hefty fines or jail — while Belgian authorities vowed similar action.

And in the United States, supporters took to social media announcing a “People’s Convoy” of truckers and “all freedom-loving Americans” to gather east of Los Angeles for a two-day rally beginning March 4 before hitting the road, possibly towards the capital Washington.

Canada’s self-styled “Freedom Convoy” began last month in the country’s west — launched in anger at requirements that truckers either be vaccinated, or test and isolate, when crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

For two weeks they have occupied the capital, Ottawa, with loud protests marked by music, honking and banner waving.

They have caused significant economic disruption by shutting down the Ambassador suspension bridge — a trade corridor used daily by more than 40,000 commuters and tourists, and trucks carrying $323 million worth of goods on average.

Even Trudeau’s political rival, Tory party interim leader Candice Bergen, who earlier expressed support for the protesters, urged them Thursday to end their siege.

“I believe the time has come for you to take down the barricades, stop the disruptive action, and come together,” she said from the House of Commons.

‘Canadian pride’

With blockades dragging on, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined a chorus of industry voices warning of the economic impact — saying it was “imperative” that Canadian officials rapidly de-escalate the situation.

Presumably eager to stop the movement spreading further domestically, several provinces including Alberta, Quebec and Saskatchewan this week announced a gradual lifting or loosening of COVID-19 restrictions.

A court has already ordered the truckers to stop the incessant honking that has upset residents in Ottawa and made sleep difficult.

But the atmosphere on the streets of the capital remained one of defiance and celebration. Some 400 vehicles remain camped on Parliament Hill below Trudeau’s offices, against a backdrop of barbecues, campfires and music.

Dennis Elgie, a curling ice technician who came from Toronto to join the protest, called the movement “fantastic.”

“I’ve never seen Canadian pride like this,” he told AFP. “This is history.”

Source: Voice of America

NASA’s new space telescope has captured its first starlight and taken a selfie of its giant, gold mirror.

All 18 segments of the primary mirror on the James Webb Space Telescope seem to be working properly 1½ months into the mission, officials said Friday.

The telescope’s first target was a bright star 258 light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.

“That was just a real wow moment,” said Marshall Perrin of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

Over the next few months, the hexagonal mirror segments — each the size of a coffee table — will be aligned and focused as one, allowing science observations to begin by the end of June.

The $10 billion infrared observatory — considered the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope — will seek light from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe nearly 14 billion years ago. It will also examine the atmospheres of alien worlds for any possible signs of life.

NASA did not detect the crippling flaw in Hubble’s mirror until after its 1990 launch; more than three years passed before spacewalking astronauts were able to correct the telescope’s blurry vision.

While everything is looking good so far with Webb, engineers should be able to rule out any major mirror flaws by next month, said Lee Feinberg, Webb optical telescope element manager.

Webb’s 21-foot (6.5-meter), gold-plated mirror is the largest ever launched into space. An infrared camera on the telescope snapped a picture of the mirror as one segment gazed upon the targeted star.

“Pretty much the reaction was, ‘Holy cow!’ ” Feinberg said.

NASA released the selfie, along with a mosaic of starlight from each of the mirror segments. The 18 points of starlight resemble bright fireflies flitting against a black night sky.

After 20 years with the project, “it is just unbelievably satisfying” to see everything working so well so far, said the University of Arizona’s Marcia Rieke, principal scientist for the infrared camera.

Webb lifted off from South America in December and reached its designated perch 1.6 million kilometers away last month.

Source: Voice of America

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

On 23 January 2022, the Zimbabwe Meteorological Services department issued an alert of the first Tropical weather system predicted to affect Zimbabwe. The system rapidly developed into a tropical storm coded Ana which then made land fall on Mozambique on 24 January. By the 25 January, it had reached Zimbabwe as an overland depression. Moderate to heavy rains with daily maximums of 80mm accompanied by strong winds of up to 80km/hour pounded several communities in the northern and North-eastern boarder of Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, the passage of the Tropical Storm Ana weather system caused destruction and damage in at least six provinces, with Manicaland Province hardest hit. At least 3,000 people have been affected by heavy rains and flooding, where schools, bridges and roads were damaged.

A total of 12 affected districts over the 5 provinces: Mashonaland West, East and Central, Masvingo and in Manicaland. The much-weakened ex-Tropical Depression Ana moved out of the country on 27 January towards Eastern Zambia and Angola. In its wake, latest assessments information estimates that the associated rainstorms and winds caused mild to extensive damages to public infrastructure in Zimbabwe (classrooms, roads, electricity lines and bridges). Through assessment conducted between the 26 to 28 January, ZRCS identified 271 households in 11 of the 12 districts who had been displaced suffering losses in shelter, WASH, livelihoods, and food security (crops). Other consequential impacts observed include trauma, increase in protection risks and injuries. At the moment, no data was provided for affected population in the districts of Marondera where NS has also deployed volunteers for data collection as it was in the 12 potentially affected districts.

The Department of Civil Protection who coordinate the overall response, appealed for support for the preparedness and response to Tropical Depression Ana during the National Emergency services sub-committee meeting on 24 January.

On 30 January 2022, UN OCHA called an emergency meeting of the Inter Cluster Coordination Group of which IFRC are a member. OCHA informed the ICCG members of reports of flooding in Mbire that indicated Chitsungo/ Karai, Chikafa/Nyambudzi, Chidodo / Chisengezi areas are not accessible.

Since the start of the emergency, ZRCS activated its contingency plan and provided early warning alerts, prepositioning materials, assessment teams and simultaneously distributed relief items to the affected households.

This DREF operation contributes to the ZRCS plans to support 170 most vulnerable households with shelter, WASH and health interventions and are requesting a DREF allocation of CHF 70,826 to:

• Cover the relief stock gap remaining to achieve the target 170 households

• Finance the gap remaining for deployment, distribution, communication, logistics and complementary activities.

• Replenish the relief stock (tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits and Jerrycans that is being distributed to part of the target 170 households. This requested replenishment will bolster NS response capacity to the imminent Tropical Cyclone Batsirai and future storms expected during this season.

Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies

Key Messages

This is a children’s crisis: Almost 21 million children are one step away from famine and face starvation. Urgent life-saving action is needed NOW to prevent a humanitarian hunger crisis in which tens of thousands of children could die. Famine has no place in the 21st century and is entirely preventable.

Conflict, COVID-19 and climate change are now interacting to create new and worsening hunger hotspots and reversing the gains families had made to escape poverty.

Time is running out. If the world stands by and does too little too late, children and their families will be forced to make dangerous survival choices that will have lasting harmful consequences for girls and boys, including preventable death.

Humanitarian funding and access to those who are starving is vital if lives are to be saved.

Everyone is exhausted by the battle to defeat COVID-19 but in the poorest parts of the world, families are now confronted by new spikes in the virus (due to the spread of the Delta variant and the arrival of new variant Omicron) and literally looking for their next meal. People know the value in coming together to defeat the pandemic and now we must urgently stand together to prevent catastrophic levels of starvation.

World Vision is on the ground in hunger hotspots around the globe, providing life-saving assistance, tackling malnutrition, providing clean water and protecting children from harm. Our response will target 15 million people who face life-threatening starvation.

Source: World Vision

Luanda – Angola and the African Union (AU) discussed Thursday the preparation of the Extraordinary Summit on Combat Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes in the Political Regime in Africa, proposed by the Angolan President of Republic, João Lourenço.

This was during a meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which gathered the Permanent Representative of Angola to the AU, Francisco da Cruz, and the African Union Commissioner for Political, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye.

In a note, the Permanent Representation of Angola to the AU states that, on the occasion, Bankole Adeoye praised Angola for the vision that President João Lourenço had in drawing the continent’s attention to reflect and fight terrorism and unconstitutional regime changes in Africa.

These are changes through coups d’état that affect the objectives of the AU’s Agenda 2063, mainly on the silencing of weapons and the economic development of the continent.

Scheduled for late May this year, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the Summit on Combat Terrorism and Unconstitutional Changes in Political Regime in Africa was approved by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

The meeting between the Angolan ambassador to Ethiopia, Francisco da Cruz, and Commissioner Bankole Adeoye was also marked by the discussion on the insertion of Angolan staff in the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union.

Source: Angola Press News Agency